For the Love of the Ocean
by thatredheadedchick
Summary: Ok, I suck at summaries. This is an Armando Salazar x OC fic. Pre-curse and Post-curse. Rated M for a reason! Enjoy!
1. Prologue

**Hello my lovelies! I have returned from the grave! Hah.**

 **Ok so a couple things. I had intended on this to be a one-shot… however I have gotten so into it that I have decided to go ahead and make it a full blown story. I have fallen hard for El Matador del Mar. I mean… hard. I am so disappointed with how few fics there are for this beautiful man. He is just… amazing. So.. Here I am.**

 **I will try to update regularly, but I do not actually have internet access at my home currently, so I have to wait until I go to my dad's about every other weekend. I will try my best to update as often as I can. Probably will be two or three chapters at a time to make up for it ;)**

 **The beginning is loosely based on an awesome RP my friend (XxLaBellaNottexX) and I have been doing.**

 **My inspiration to even begin writing, as well as a lot of the ideas for, this lovely fic is owed to an equally lovely new friend by the name of Nettacartwright. She has become an awesome beta for me. I had never had a beta before but omg. I don't know how I will be able to continue without one. So helpful! She also has a soft spot for the Spanish Captain, so go check out her awesome fics.**

 **And as always, thank you to the lovely MeltyCat for the inspiring (FUCKING DO EEET MATE) words.**

 **Go check out all their stories. They are all very talented authors.**

 **I must also say that I speak very little Spanish. Like, basic sentences. That is it. So I will not be having them speak in Spanish. Use your damn imagination. Some words will be Spanish. Don't like it? Well there is the door ;) For the most part they will actually be speaking Spanish regularly. I will put the text meant to be in Spanish in parenthesis.**

 **I own nothing but Adelaide. Cora belongs to XxLaBellaNottexX. And anyone you recognize belongs to Disney. Not me. XD**

… **..**

Flying. She was flying. Soaring above the waters like a gull. It was a beautiful feeling to be so free, so above the world. She felt nearly invincible.

The ocean she flew above was a calm, and beautiful blue-green. The wind against her face was warm, tinted with a light taste of salt. She felt completely at peace.

On the horizon sailed a large, beautiful naval ship. She knew that ship from anywhere. It was the Maria Silencio. The Silent Mary. Many times had she walked the decks, but only once had she sailed on it before. It was a beautiful ship to behold, even far more beautiful in motion, that was certain.

The scene before her faded to black, suddenly switching to another where the Silent Mary was surrounded by several pirate ships. They were all firing upon her, but with several levels of cannons, she most certainly could hold her own.

Her chest tightened as she watched the handsome Spanish Capitan command the ship, barking orders, running his ship with a stern hand.

Oh how she loved that man. To see him in such a powerful position… it made her skin tingle and tighten.

As she watched, it felt as though she were floating all around the ships. Watching the chaos ensue from each angle, then slowly it had all come to a halt. Finally the cannon firing ceased. She let out a sigh of relief as the Silent Mary came out practically unscathed, as each of it's adversaries sunk below the blue water line. All, but one.

Just as Armando began to congratulate his men, there was a voice on the air. She could barely hear it. She could barely make out the words. All sounds were garbled as though she were listening from under the water.

The scene before her suddenly cut out and shifted and the Silent Mary was following the same ship into some sort of rock formation. It was nearly a perfect triangle formed in the rock structure. It was eerily beautiful, though the sight made her a bit inexplicably sick. A name came to her… Repeating itself like a crazy drunkard in the local tavern. The Devil's Triangle. Something did not set well with her. It did not feel welcoming. It nearly made her skin crawl.

And The Silent Mary was headed right for it.

Suddenly the ship which it was chasing threw it's rope to the passing rock formation, catching to make a sudden turn. She knew the term… It was a bootleg turn.

The ship was sailing to safety as The Silent Mary headed for the entrance.

She opened her mouth to yell, to scream for them to abandon ship, but no sound came. It seemed she had lost her ability to use her vocal chords.

She watched as the ship sailed into the Triangle. A sudden explosion sounded and she watched in silent horror as the Silent Mary went up in flames.

…

Adelaide Primrose Salazar jolted awake with a start. Her breathing was heavy as she sat upright and held her chest. Her body was soaked in sweat, she could hear her heart in her ears as she looked around the room. It took her a moment to realize that she was in her home, back in the room she shared with her husband, who had previously been sleeping peacefully besides her.

Armando let out a groan as he was aroused from a solid, deep sleep.

"(Addy… what is wrong my heart?)" his voice was low, husky with his relaxed state.

Adelaide took another deep breath to steady her beating heart before she looked over to her husband.

"Nothing… Bad dream." she finally answered in English after catching her breath.

Armando let out a sigh of his own as he turned over to face his wife, his eyes half lidded as he looked up at her.

"It has been a week since I have returned. Every night you have woken with a nightmare. Perhaps you should make an appointment to see Mother Superior, Mi Amor?" he suggested as he moved over to pull her down into his embrace. Adelaide relaxed as she shimmied down and she let him wrap his arms around her shoulders.

"Why? What could she do for it? I do not think demons are plaguing my mind." she said as she turned to face him and curled into his embrace.

She took in a deep breath. A wonderful scent, which was purely Armando, invaded her senses. He smelled of the sea, spice, and musk. She would never tire of it.

"It would give me peace of mind." he said as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"Armando... I am sure that this is nothing but nerves. You will be leaving in a day's time and perhaps I am just not ready? This is your shortest visit home yet." she said before she leaned her head up just enough to catch his lips. They were so soft, so warm.

"I know this. It does not make me happy, Adelaide," he started after reluctantly pulling away from her. "but we are so close. We needed to come home just long enough to restock our supplies and spend a little time with our loved ones before we head out once more. This is not permanent my Soul." he said before he moved in to capture her lips once more. After a moment, he pulled away and leaned back, pulling her with him. She was more than content, laying her head off to the side of his chest, listening to his heart beat as she ran her fingers through the short, thick, curly black hairs on his chest.

"I am sorry I awoke you mi amor." she whispered and he let out a sigh as he ran a hand through her thick copper tresses.

"Do not think on it my love. Let us get some sleep and enjoy tomorrow." he said as he pulled the duvet a bit higher over the two of them. Adelaide sighed as she buried her face into his chest.

It took a while, but eventually Adelaide found rest, the rhythm of Armando's heart lulling her into peaceful sleep.


	2. Chapter 1

Thankfully there were no more nightmares awaiting Adelaide once she found sleep. In fact, she could not remember dreaming at all when she awoke, but she felt this was better than being plagued by nightmares.

She had awoken to an empty bed. Her husband must have awoken much earlier than she, as his side of the bed was long cold.

Adelaide sat up and stretched just as her handmaiden, a young woman named Isabella Rodrigo, entered the room.

"(Good morning Ma'am. The Master has sent me up to fetch you for breakfast.)" she said as she walked over to open the curtains. Adelaide scrunched her eyes shut and threw an arm over her face to shield herself from the bright light.

"(Isabella, how many times have I asked you to call me Adelaide?)" she asked as she removed her arm and squinted through the light at the young woman who was set to work pulling out the simple dress which Adelaide would be wearing for the day.

"(Apologies… I just do not feel comfortable with it Ma'am.)" she explained, nearly stiffly, as she set about the room, pulling different pieces of jewelry to go with the dress.

Adelaide sighed as she finally rolled out of bed and walked over so that Isabella could help her dress for the day.

Adelaide had never felt comfortable being addressed so formally from the help. She had not come from a noble family as Armando had. Her father, Lorenzo Gonzalez was a fourth generation farmer and her mother, Saoirse (pronounced Seersha), was an immigrant from Ireland.

They were not a poor family by any means, but they certainly did not have servants or help of any sort. Adelaide had spent the majority of her life getting her hands dirty along side her father. She knew the sores and feeling of accomplishment from a hard day's work, unlike the majority of the woman around her.

It had been by chance that Armando and Adelaide had met. Adelaide was helping her father run their stall in a small port, selling their goods when Armando's ship had docked for supplies. He had come to her stall with the cook, checking their goods over and praised their quality. They had ended up buy their entire stock out that day, to which her father beamed with pride.

They had known he was a Royal Spanish Navy officer from the way he was dressed, but they did not know that he was actually the Capitan of the ship. It had taken both her and her father by surprise when they had learned this. To think, a captain shopping for goods with his help… they had never heard of such a thing!

Armando did not believe in love at first sight until that day. The way she dressed… Not like the usual noble women he was used to. She wore breeches, and she wore a button down shirt. Normally this would put men off, but to Armando? This merely made him curious as to her story. She was also rather short. Almost a whole head shorter than Armando. And her hair. Such a vibrant, copper red, which shined in the light of the sun. It reminded him of the embers of a burning ship. Her eyes, so green. They were like two jade crystals boring holes through his very sole. As soon as she spoke, his heart clenched and he had to know who this woman was.

They had been in port for three days, and each day, Adelaide and her father returned with their goods to sell, having only lived a few miles from said port. Each day, Armando would return with some sort of excuse as to why he was shopping so near them. He would always make sure to speak with the father and daughter duo.

Then, one night, their last night in port, Armando asked Adelaide to accompany him for supper, promising Lorenzo that he would bring Adelaide back at a decent hour. And he was most certainly true to his word, which impressed Lorenzo immensely.

They spent the night dining on the Silent Mary, in his personal quarters, laughing, talking, getting to know one another.

It was this night that Armando just knew that Adelaide was the one. She was intriguing. She was not like the women back home, who hung on his every word, agreed with everything he said, and laughed at every one of his jokes. No. She was something special.

Nothing about their short time together seemed forced. Not once did either of them feel awkward about the other. It was as though they had known one another for many years as they talked. And the more they talked, the more they had found they had quite a bit in common. Shared interests, shared hobbies, similar childhoods, despite being from different class of households, all of which came as a pleasant surprise to them both.

When Armando left her that night, he had made a promise to return for her.

Unfortunately, Adelaide would not see Armando again for several months, nearing a year. She had begun to think that he had forgotten about her. Perhaps he had moved on and found another woman at another port? Perhaps he was one of those men who played with a woman's heart and left it in shreds in their wake? But deep down, a voice told her just how untrue her thoughts were and how silly she was for thinking such a thing.

Boy did she did feel silly. She felt silly for believing such a distinguished man such as Capitan Armando Salazar would be interested in a simple farm girl such as herself.

The day finally came when Armando had returned for her, and she was once again running the stall with her father at the market.

When she saw him walking towards their stand, a very serious and determined look on his face, her heart nearly jumped from her chest.

He was just as dashing as she remembered and this time, he was dressed in full uniform. Oh how handsome he was!

Armando surprised Adelaide, however, when he walked right past her without so much as a word. Her heart sank as she watched him instead walk up to her father. Lorenzo looked nearly as confused as Adelaide.

"(Lorenzo Gonzalez?)" he had asked. "(I wish to ask you for your daughter's hand in marriage.)" he had been so confident, so sure of himself. Not an ounce of hesitation as he asked her father's permission. Adelaide had felt as though she were floating on the clouds.

And the rest was history.

They had married that summer, and he took her home. The first and last time she would sail on the Silent Mary.


	3. Chapter 2

After Isabella had helped Adelaide dress, she made her way down to the dining room to join her husband for breakfast. It was a simple breakfast of meats and cheeses and breads. As soon as she saw her husband, visions of the ship exploding suddenly flashed before her mind's eye. She shook her head lightly as she willed away the nasty thoughts.

Armando smiled to her from his seat at the head of the table, and Adelaide moved to take the seat to his immediate right, their usual seating arrangements for meals.

"(Ah, you finally arise my darling.)" Armando teased good naturedly as he rose and moved to pull her chair out for her. She gave him her own smile as she took a seat and he pushed the chair up to the table for her before taking his own seat once more.

"I hope you slept a bit better?" he asked as he forked a bit of sausage from the platter and plopped it onto his plate. He always waited for Adelaide before he would eat. He enjoyed having his meals with his wife.

"I did." she said as she began to absentmindedly fill her own plate. It did smell quite delicious, she just could not seem to concentrate.

"I hope you do not mind, Mi Corazon, Lieutenant Lesaro and his wife, as well as a few officers and their spouses, shall be joining us for lunch this afternoon. We have a bit of business to take care of. We figure the wives could talk while the husbands do business." he gave a smile and she forced another convincing smile with a nod in return. It was not that she did not like it when the wives of the officers gathered, it was just that she always felt so out of place. She felt as though the majority were only nice to her because of the fact that she was the Capitan's wife.

Lieutenant Lesaro's spouse, however, was a whole different story. She being one Adelaide despised with a passion. And for good reason, too.

The woman traipsed about with younger men while her husband was away. How word had not gotten around was beyond her, as she was not very secretive about her endeavors. Oh how she felt absolutely terrible for the Lieutenant. He was far too good of a man for her. He was far too caring and too loving, far out of her league, as far as Adelaide was concerned. Each time she would try to get him alone, to tell him, his wife show, standing there on his arm, shooting her dirty looks of warning.

She once tried to tell Armando about what was transpiring, but even that had not worked out well, not at all. Armando had talked to the Lieutenant, who then went to confront his wife. She lied her way through the situation, and it came back to bite the young Captain's wife right in the ass. After that she swore to keep to herself. She would no longer dabble in the affairs of others no matter how painful it was to keep quiet.

"Are you all right mi amor? You seem a bit distant this morning." he pointed out before taking a bite of his breakfast.

Adelaide nearly jumped, but somehow managed to keep her composure.

"Hm? Oh. No, I am fine. Lunch with the wives sounds… lovely." she forced another convincing smile before she set to work on her own breakfast.

Armando was not convinced, but he would not push it. He knew her thoughts on the wives, especially Lesaro's. But could he blame her? Of course not. She knew she would not lie about the trollop that was Lesaro's wife, but he also could do nothing for it. It was all dangerous politics and they would have no choice but to ignore it.

Adelaide did not, however, despise all the wives. Officer Cortez's wife was quite enjoyable to be around. She was one of Adelaide's closest friends. Cora Montgomery-Cortez had been an English Noblewoman found on a pirate ship and brought back to Spain for diplomatic reasons. This had ended up backfiring, as her father, a very distinguished British general, would not believe that she was truly alive.

Of course this had broken Cora's heart, though she did not dwell on it long. She had fallen in love with Officer Nico Cortez and the two married within the following year. Adelaide was the only one to know of their relationship at first, but after Nico had proposed, it was hard to keep such a relationship hidden.

Cora had been what kept her sane while their husbands were away. They would have lunches together, sneak in disguise to visit the taverns at night… Cora had taught her to be a master sneak.

It was highly frowned upon for women of their stature to visit the taverns, especially at the hours they enjoyed going. Cora was quick to remedy this and they had made it a tradition, after the men would leave, they would go out and have a few drinks and dance the night away.

Of course, Armando and Nico were both completely unaware. They would surely be cross with their wives should they ever be found out. Hopefully that day would never come.

"(I promise that tonight will be all about you and me, my heart, but I must speak with my officers about a few things before we are to sail.)" he said before plopping a bit of meat and bread in his mouth.

Adelaide looked at him and nodded. It was not like she was surprised at all. The day before he would leave her, he always held a meeting with his officers, but she would prefer to not have to entertain the wives this day. After having such a long night and being plagued by such terrible nightmares the last few days, it was the last thing she wanted to do. She did not have the patience to put up her front today.

…..

The entire time the wives were gathered, all she could think of was her husband and the Silent Mary being blown to smithereens. She could barely concentrate.

Adelaide inwardly groaned as she forced a fake laugh at one of the wife's terribly boring stories. She shot a look to Cora, who returned it as they turned their attentions to Patience Lesaro, who began to speak, but Adelaide did her best to block the woman out. Her very voice grated on her nerves and she wanted nothing more than to take the woman out by her hair and punch her in her self-righteous face before she threw her to the sharks off the side of the Silent Mary.

Cora could speak very little Spanish, so Adelaide would happily translate for her, which seemed to annoy most of the other women, as Adelaide would make a point to talk over them and translate as they spoke. Adelaide did not actually care.

Fortunately for the two of them, the wives barely spoke any English, besides very simple phrases and words, so they could get away with holding their own conversations when the others thought that Adelaide was merely translating.

"(And then that cow had the audacity to assume that I wanted my wine glass refilled. I had already had three. Did the idiot not realize that I would become intoxicated should I consume any more?)" one wife had gone on, bashing the servant in her home for something so petty.

Adelaide resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she looked to Cora.

"She is complaining about having too much wine and blaming it on the help." she said and Cora couldn't help the grin that she hid behind her ornate fan.

"That is what I thought she was talking about, but I couldn't be sure." she said as the same woman gave the two of them an annoyed look.

Adelaide gave her a forced apologetic look before shooting Cora a smirk.

Just as Mrs. Lesaro had began to speak, Isabella walked in, a few other staff behind her as they brought in lunch. A light lunch, it was. A few sandwiches and some fruit, and a bit of red wine and water to drink.

Cora and Adelaide thanked the staff as they set the plates in front of them. The others were actually quite rude to her staff and this did not set well with Adelaide. This was nothing new. They treated her staff like they were leagues above them each time they were over, but Adelaide was a bit more irritable, so the little things were starting to get to her.

"(No! No you silly little girl! You put the wine glass to the left and the water to the right! Honestly Adelaide, I would have thought you would have gotten rid of her ages ago. She is not very bright.)" Lesaro snapped as Isabella quickly righted the cups.

"(Well, Patience, it is a good thing that they are my help and not yours, isn't it? I think she is a rather fine handmaiden.)" she said and Patience looked as though she was slapped in the face.

"(She is your handmaiden and you let her help the other servants? You should never let-)"

"(Patience, although I appreciate your words of wisdom, they are not needed, nor wanted. I will do what I wish with my staff. They are not servants, they are paid for their services. They are staff. I will thank you for remembering this.)" she nearly snapped, causing the women to fall into an angry silence.

Cora had understood the gist of what was going on and she shot Adelaide an appreciative glance as she set to work on the food before her.

…..

The rest of the lunch went relatively well, despite Adelaide not really being there. Oh sure, she was there physically and she managed to put up a good façade, but mentally, she was far, far away.

The lunch was… Very quite awkward, but well none-the-less. Patience would get in a jab here and there, but Adelaide would ignore her.

Finally, Armando had entered with his men just as they had finished their lunch.

"Ah, I see your lunch has gone well, Mi Amor." he said with a smile before he leaned down to kiss his wife on the forehead. Adelaide forced a smile before she looked to Cora, who was stood to greet her husband.

"It was… lovely." she said as she leaned up into the kiss. Lovely. Yes. That was a word for it. Not the word she wished to use, but she did know when to hold her tongue.

…..

As each couples slowly filed out, Adelaide played the good Capitan's wife and stood besides her husband, her left arm securely tucked under his right as they bid their farewells to each couple. Adelaide had never felt such a relief as when the Lesaro's left their home. Javier was a good man. She could not stress that enough. Patience did not deserve him.

Finally, Cora and Nico came to stand in front of the two.

"Well that was… fun?" Cora smiled as she nodded to the host and hostess.

Armando was too busy talking with Nico to notice that Adelaide and Cora had exchanged glances.

"I am sure I will be hearing about my little outburst soon enough." she said just low enough to where Armando would not hear as he and Nico talked of their plans for leaving the next morning and about what time they would be expected to set sail.

Adelaide could not help but feel the restricting in her chest as she shot her husband an uneasy glance. She looked back to Cora, who gave her a sympathetic smile.

Cora knew about the nightmares plaguing Adelaide each night. And it was always the same one. There had to be a reason behind this. It had to be a sign, a warning, something. Adelaide did not feel she could just brush this off lightly.

Suddenly Cora pulled Adelaide in for a hug. This was not uncommon, so Armando thought nothing of it.

"I will be over to the docks in the morning to see my husband off. Meet me there after you have seen your Captain off. Make sure it is far before he sets sail." she said just above a whisper. Adelaide had barely heard, but she nodded regardless. She had no idea what her friend wanted, but it must have been important if she was going to be so secretive about it.

Adelaide pulled away from her friend and gave her a smile. Cora returned it before the two returned to their husband's sides just as the men shook hands and went their separate ways after a few well wishes.

Armando led Adelaide back into the house before shutting the door.

As soon as the door was shut, Armando turned on Adelaide.

"Adelaide, what did you do? Patience did not look pleased." he asked as he crossed his arms across his chest, an eyebrow raised as he gave her a suspicious look.

"What makes you think I did it? A wind could have blown up her-"

"Adelaide." he snapped with a stern look upon his face.

"I am sorry my love. She was talking down on Isabella. I am just so tired. So irritated. I let my emotions get the best of me." she explained before Armando let out a sigh.

"You do realize the trouble you have just put Javier in, correct?" he asked. Adelaide merely nodded before looking down. "Then I do not have to tell you… I will be in my study for a little while. I have to chart out our new course. Lieutenant Lesaro has left some valuable information from one of his informants."

Adelaide quickly looked up, hurt clearly in her eyes.

"Armando… you said that we would have the rest of today?" she reminded as she felt her chest constrict. Always work with him. Always work had come before her. She was beginning to tire of it.

"Adelaide, please. This is important." he said before walking away. He did not want to get into an argument with her. Why couldn't she see that he was doing all this for her? For their future children? He did not wish to raise their children in a world where Pirates roamed free, where they soiled the beauty of the sea with their tainted hearts. No, he told himself, he was doing this for her. For his Father. And for his Grandfather. He would not let anything stand in the way of his goals. Not when he was so close, he could taste it.


	4. Chapter 3

Adelaide spent the next three hours pacing the gardens, pulling the occasional weed, stopping to sniff the odd flower here and there. The gardnes happened to be her own personal haven. Not a soul bothered her while she was there, not even Armando. It was her own little sanctuary away from it all. Oh how she loved her gardens. She loved the feeling of the dirt beneath her nails, of the heat of the soil, warmed by the sun. She had many plants, trees, and flowers in her garden. Her favorite were by far her rose bushes. They were beautiful, in reds and whites, they made the garden smell absolutely wonderful. They were a gift from Armando after his first time away from her. He had been gone for three months and when he returned he had brought the small rose bushes with him.

They had grown to be quite large after all the years. And it was here, in front of her rose bushes, that she stopped pacing as a tear ran down her cheek.

She quickly reached up to wipe the wet streak away before she leaned down to smell a perfectly developed red rose. She let the breath out slowly through her nose before she stood upright once more. She looked up at their three story home, across to the window where Armando's study was, situated in the middle of the first floor, overlooking her garden.

He had always said this was the perfect spot. He could watch his wife work in her garden as he charted out his maps, or held a meeting with his officers.

Adelaide let out another sigh as she made her way back into the house with a more determined look on her face. If this was how he would treat her, brushing her off after promising a night together, perhaps she needed to start playing…. Dirty.

….

As she made her way to Armando's study, she was sure to dismiss any of the staff she had come across for the night. She had a plan and it would be best if there was no one in the house.

She was nearing the Study when Isabella intercepted her.

"(Ma'am, shall alert you when supper is-)"

"(No, no Isabella. Please. Take the rest of the night off. You shall still receive your full pay, but tonight… I just want it to be Armando and I.)" she said as she gave a smile as she put a hand on the woman's arm. "(You may return in the morning.)" she said and before Isabella could say anything, Adelaide moved to enter the Study.

She found Armando standing at the desk, hovering over his maps, pencil in his hand as he measured each angle carefully. He looked to be so in thought, Adelaide was sure he hadn't noticed she had entered.

Armando had dressed down. Instead of his military garb, he wore a simple white button up, tucked loosely into his black breeches. His petticoat hung thoughtfully on the chair behind him.

She silently walked up to the desk, and Armando quickly looked up at her, his look of surprise confirming her suspicions as she moved closer and inspected the maps he had laid out. He had taught her to read the maps out years ago, so she had little trouble figuring out just where he was headed.

"I wish you did not have to go." she said as she leaned over and placed a hand on his shoulder

Armando looked up from the maps, and he placed the pencil down and smiled at his beautiful wife. He hated leaving her, but he knew it was necessary.

"I know, I know mi amore. But... I will be back to you before you know it." he said as he placed a hand on hers, looking up at her and giving her a warm smile.

"Armando... I just… I have a terrible feeling about this. It is not like the other times. I have this sinking feeling that you won't be coming back." she said as she tightened her grasp on his shoulder. It was true. The closer they got to him leaving, the worse she felt and the more she felt as though this would be the last time she ever laid eyes on the handsome man before her.

"Adelaide..." he started as he pushed off the desk. She let his arm go as he sat back on his chair and motioned for her to take a seat on his lap. She did not argue as she did as was silently requested. She looked up into his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his neck, then buried her face into his shoulder. "Do not fret." he soothed as he ran his fingers through her long, copper red locks. Oh how he loved it when she wore her hair down. It made her look more... wild. "I will come back to you, as I have every other time, and hopefully it will not take as long this time around. Perhaps... it will even be permanent." he grinned as he smoothed a lock of copper from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

Adelaide let out a long breath through her nose.

"I do hope you are right."

"Adelaide, look at me." he said softly as he pulled her face up by her chin so that he could look into her eyes. "I will come back to you. I promise." he gave her a reassuring smile before he quickly pecked her lips. "Now, I do believe I have slaved over these maps long enough, huh? We should, perhaps, get ready for bed?" he gave her a mischievous grin, a familiar glint in his eye as he leaned down, his eyes not once leaving hers as he softly pressed his lips against her own once more, this time letting the kiss linger a little longer.

Adelaide felt her heart flutter as he kissed her. She felt as though her fears were temporarily laid to rest as she hummed into the kiss, enjoying the feel of his soft lips on hers.

She pulled away, her eyes slowly closing as she pressed her forehead against his, her hand going to the back of his head as she toyed with the ribbon that tied his hair back.

"Yes. Let us get ready for bed then." she agreed as she pulled the ribbon free and his hair fell in soft, black waves around his face and shoulders. She slid off of his lap and gave him a grin of her own as she held out her hand for him to take, which he happily did so. He stood, his chair scraping, the sound echoing in the large room as she took the candle besides his maps.

It was not quite dark yet, there was still a bit of dim light, but the house was starting to darken and Adelaide did not fancy bumping into anything, or falling up the stairs on their way.

"Lead the way." he gestured with a nod of his head and Adelaide did not have to be told twice.

She led him out of the study by the hand, down the hall and up the stairs that led to their bedroom. First door on the right.

As she opened the door, Armando took his hand away, and leaned to take the candle from her. She looked back in a questioning manner as he gave her a grin. He motioned for her to enter first and he followed. He closed the door behind him as he set the candle down on the dresser on the wall to his right.

Adelaide was quick to reach back and untie the strings to her corset, but Armando reached up to stop her.

"(My soul... please... we must savor the moment, no?)" he grinned as he slowly turned her around. He toyed with the corset with professional fingers before it was finally undone. She removed it from her torso and tossed it to the side.

One hand moved, painstakingly slow, down her back, ever so lightly, as the other moved to smooth the hair away from her neck. He leaned in and gently kissed the nape of her neck and she felt her breath hitch as her blood ran hot with her lust.

"(Please)... Armando..." she nearly begged as he grabbed the material of her outer dressing layer and pulled it up, over her head. She raised her arms in order to make removing the article a bit easier.

Armando folded the garment, placing it on a chair besides their glowing fireplace and turned to her once more. She was now in her white undergarments and she looked absolutely stunning. He was quick to close the gap between them. He circled her like a tiger would it's prey before he set to work on the ties of her undergarments.

"(My love… you are wearing entirely too much.)" she gave him a cheeky grin as goose bumps formed on her exposed skin.

"(Patience, My soul… Patience. Good things… they come to those who wait.)" he returned the grin as he slowly ran the tips of his fingers down her neck. She could feel her skin tighten as he reached under the sleeves through the neck line to smooth the shoulders of the garment off of her. Her skin tingled most pleasantly where he touched.

After nearly ten years, this man still sent electricity through every inch of her body. Their love, despite the hardships his occupation has put them through, was incredibly strong and very much alive.

She hummed as the garment fell to pool at her feet. She was left in nothing but her pantaloons at this point and yet, he was fully clothed. She pouted as she looked him over.

"Armando… (I am nearly completely bare and yet you have not shed a single article of clothing. How fair is that?)" she feigned annoyance as she turned to face him. He raised a brow as he unbuttoned the top three buttons with ease. Oh how she wanted to so badly to run her hand down the patch of black curls that littered his chest well and far below his shirt line.

She was more than willing to help him with his shirt buttons. She moved her hands up, her fingers toying with the remaining buttons on his shirt. She was half expecting him to stop her, to tell her to be patient once more… but he merely smiled as he watched her, so she continued.

Once she succeeded in undoing every button, after un-tucking his shirt of course, she stared him in his large brown eyes as she took her turn in smoothing his shirt from his shoulders.

He let it fall to the floor as she wasted no time in pulling at his belt. That was when he grabbed her hands and pulled them to hook around his neck as he ran his hands down her sides. He wrapped his own arms around her as he leaned down to press his lips against hers. Her body was so warm against his. The skin on skin contact sent a delightful shiver up his spine.

He reached down and grasped her by the rear, prompting her to jump up and wrap her legs around his torso as he moved her over to the bed. He gently laid her down and pulled away as she sunk into the feathery duvet, her hair laying around her like a beautiful copper halo. He stepped back, reaching down to unbuckle his belt as he grinned down at her.

"(Why must you torture me so?)" she feigned being hurt as she looked up at him with her big brown eyes.

"(Because it makes this that much more pleasurable.)" he stated simply as he unbuttoned his breeches and pushed them down his legs. His thick member sprung forwards, at attention just for her as he stood once more. "(You… like what you see eh?)" he teased as she stared at him.

She responded by quickly shimmying out of her pantaloons and kicked them off the side of the bed.

"(Come get me…)" her voice was low and sultry as she beckoned him to her with a finger.

"Adelaide…" he growled as he practically dove on her.

He spit in his hand before he grasped a hold of himself and moved to shove his knee between her legs to spread them as he moved his hands to her hips.

"Armando, (Please! Do not make me wait anymore…)" she begged as she wriggled beneath him, becoming quite impatient.

"(As you wish, my soul.)" he growled as he reached down to align himself with her slick entrance and swiftly plunged himself inside of her.

They both moaned out as he sunk deep into her as he bit his lip. Adelaide stared up at her husband, the pleasure written all over her face as she kept her husband's eye. She could nearly see stars. It didn't matter how many times she had him, every time it felt like the first.

Armando moved up, grasping her left breast as he leaned down to take her right nipple into his mouth. Adelaide cried out as she wrapped her legs around his hips as he rocked back and forth. She moved her hands to the back of his head, her fingers curling into his long black locks, which fell around his face , and around her torso as he worked her.

As he nibbled, taking her nipple between his teeth, she tightened her grip at the back of his head.

"Oh… Armando! (Please! Harder!)" she cried out and Armando was more than happy to oblige as he moved his hips a little faster, with more purpose. He wanted to make his wife cry his name. He wanted to make her writhe beneath him as she sang out her pleasures just for him.

He moved his hips as though he were kneading into her, rolling them against hers as she threw her head back to let out a cry of pleasure.

Armando was a very powerful man that liked control over every aspect of his day to day life. Their intimate times were no different. He enjoyed taking the reins and setting the pace. Once in a great while he would let Adelaide call the shots, but that would not happen this night.

Armando crashed his lips against Adelaide's before he shoved his tongue into her mouth, Adelaide's fighting his for dominance as she began to pant into the kiss. She could feel her muscles tightening as he worked her.

As he pulled away, she gasped, finally remembering to breathe as she mewled in bliss.

"Don't fight it, Mi Amor… let go…" he growled as he leaned down to bite at her neck.

Adelaide cried out his name as she raked her nails across his back.

"(Louder.)" he demanded as she dug her heels into the back of his thighs.

"Armando!" she cried out as the heat within her abdomen exploded through her body and racked every inch as she convulsed beneath him, repeating his name as she rode out her pleasures.

Armando smirked at her, feeling her walls tighten painfully around his erection. It did not take long before he too succumbed to his pleasures. He let out a groan as he felt himself spill into her. He growled her name as he gave her a couple more rough thrusts, making sure he was fully empty before he pulled out of her.

She gasped as he pulled out and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he all but collapsed on top of her. She was all grins as she looked up at him, and he returned her smile as he tried to regain his composure. They were both covered in a layer of sweat, Armando's hair sticking to his face before he ran a hand up and through, pushing it back and out of his eyes.

"(You are so beautiful, my soul. I love you and I will return to you. Do not doubt this.)" he said before he pressed his lips tenderly against hers.


End file.
